Artist of the Month for December 2024

Bio

Chappell Roan is the drag-inspired, sassy, larger-than-life alter ego of singer/songwriter Kayleigh Rose Amstutz. Born on February 19, 1998, in Willard, Missouri, Roan has described her childhood as very “conservative” and “religious,” which was often stifling for the queer pop star. As a kid, she attended church three times a week and spent summers at religious camps.

Though she emerged in 2024 as a seemingly “overnight success,” Roan has pursued music for over a decade. She began taking piano and singing lessons around the age of 12 and, at 14, auditioned for America’s Got Talent without any luck. In 2013, she began uploading covers and original music to YouTube and traveling to New York for musical showcases. She was discovered by Atlanta Records at a festival in 2015, and shortly after began using her stage name, inspired by her grandfather, who died of brain cancer the same year.

In 2018, Roan moved to LA to pursue her career and began working with Dan Nigro. Living away from her family for the first time, she finally felt free to explore her queer identity. She began writing music about her identity, and in 2020, released her hit single “Pink Pony Club,” inspired by the Los Angeles gay bar, The Abbey. Unfortunately, her new music failed to gain widespread recognition, and she was dropped by Atlantic Records later that year – the same week her boyfriend ended their four-year relationship. In 2021, discouraged by her lack of success, Nigro took a step back from working with Roan, instead prioritizing his new client, Olivia Rodrigo. She spent the next four years as a production assistant, barista, and nanny. 

In 2022, Roan scored a publishing deal with Sony and brought Nigro back to help her work on her first release in two years, “Naked in Manhattan.” The song earned her recognition from Rodrigo and queer artist Fletcher. Both invited Roan to tour with them. In 2023, she began her first headlining tour, Naked in America, and embraced a new, campy, drag-inspired look. She also booked local drag queens to open for her at each stop. 

In September 2023, Roan released her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, and headlined her second tour. Roan began 2024 by opening for Olivia Rodrigo on the Sour tour, which immediately boosted her popularity on Spotify. She appeared on NPR’s Tiny Desk concert series and performed for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. She booked a series of festivals, including Coachella and Capitol Hill Block Party, as an opening act, but by mid-summer, she was selling out entire venues. In September, she won MTV’s Best New Artist Award, an honor which she dedicated to queer and trans people everywhere. 

Good Luck, Babe!

Past Picks of the Month

Chappel Roan

Green Day

Glass Animals

HUGEL

Sabrina Carpenter

Taylor Swift

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